Five-Run Ninth Gives Maine a 10-6 Win Over UMass Lowell

Sunday afternoon’s game at LeLacheur Park was a frustrating one for the UMass Lowell River Hawks. Leading 6-3 in the seventh, the bullpen struggled as they surrendered seven unanswered runs to a Maine Black Bears lineup that refused to quit. The result was a 10-6 victory and a series win on the road for Maine. A disappointed River Hawks head coach Nick Barresse spoke after the game about losing the first two conference series to start league play, expressing particular frustration with winning the opening game of each series only to lose the following two. He vowed to make changes to the lineup for Tuesday’s game against Dartmouth.

The River Hawks’ offense ignited in the first three innings, taking an early 2-0 lead against Black Bears starter Vaun Larisa. A leadoff walk to Cal Chance followed by a double from Rowan Masse set the table with nobody out, leading to back-to-back RBI groundouts from Sean O’Leary and Carlos Martinez. River Hawks left-hander Jacob Jette was the primary benefactor of the early run support. In his six innings of work, Jette’s only significant trouble came in the third, where poor defense was the culprit against the bottom of the Maine lineup. Three errors led to two unearned runs, but Jette prevented further damage by striking out the top three hitters in the Maine order—Nic Pepe, Quinn Murphy, and Troy Carpenter—to escape the jam.

Maine’s defense returned the favor in the bottom of the third, as an error helped the River Hawks push across four runs to build a 6-2 lead. RBI base hits from designated hitter Scott Donahue and third baseman Joseph DeLanzo contributed to the crooked number inning. Maine managed to claw back one run in the sixth after putting together three straight two-out hits. A Rex Hauser RBI single to right-center scored JuJu Stevens, who had reached on an infield hit, though Hauser was thrown out trying to take an extra base. The play left UMass Lowell with a 6-3 lead heading into the late innings.

Jette finished his day having provided six solid innings, allowing seven hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out six and walking one. He turned the game over to the bullpen, starting with Jake Lefrancois, who has been reliable for the River Hawks this spring. Lefrancois retired the first two hitters he faced before running into trouble; a walk to Pepe was followed by infield singles from Murphy and Carpenter. Catcher Shane Andrus then delivered a clutch two-run single to left field that scored Pepe and Murphy, bringing the Black Bears within a run at 6-5.

While the Maine offense found its rhythm, their pitching staff began putting up zeros. Larisa’s day ended after five innings, having allowed eight hits and six earned runs. He turned the ball over to Pierce Friedman, who was dominant over the final four innings, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out four. In the ninth, UMass Lowell turned to Martinez to close the game, but the Black Bears’ lineup got the best of him. Ten men came to the plate, and five scored as Maine utilized three hits and three walks to take a 10-6 lead. Friedman handled the bottom of the ninth to secure his first win of the spring. As Coach Barresse noted after the game, two-out rallies became the key for Maine. UMass Lowell must now regroup for a midweek matchup against the Big Green before heading to UAlbany for the holiday weekend.